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March and April can be a difficult time for traditional fruit based cooking - especially after a warm late winter, early spring, such as the worrying record breaking (20 degree plus) February weather this year.
The warm temperatures mean apples which will usually store until this time of year haven't kept well so can't be used. Still there's always something! Try the fruit leather for a sweet healthy lunchbox snack, much tastier than the name suggests!
APPLE LEATHER
Fruit Leather is a brilliant way to use all fruit and even tomatoes. The fruit leather I describe here is not part of our culinary heritage, as it originally relied on a warmer and sunnier climate than ours. It is a thin, semi-transparent, flexible sheet of concentrated fruit. It has a really intense flavour which can be further enhanced by the addition of spices such as cinnamon and can be sweetened to taste with honey.
1 kg apples (or any other fruit)
Juice of a lemon (optional)
Honey to taste (optional)
Prepare two 24x30 cm baking sheets by lining them with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 60°C. Peel and core the apples. Place in a pan and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the fruit is very soft. Purée. Stir in honey if using. Spread the fruit pulp thinly and evenly over the baking parchment using the back of a spoon. Place in the oven and leave for 12 – 18 hours (or longer!) until the purée is dry and easily peels off the baking parchment. When cold, roll the fruit leather sheets in fresh baking parchment and store in an airtight tin. The fruit leather will keep for some time.
This can also be done in a dehydrator. I shall be experimenting with a dehydrator in the coming fruit seasons so watch this space!
APPLE SAUCE CAKE
280g / 10oz self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
110g / 4oz caster sugar
110g / 4oz demerara sugar with an extra 2 tbsp to sprinkle over the top
110g / 4oz salted butter, melted
2 large eggs
300 ml unsweetened stewed apple (use 1lb or more apples --- any extra puree can be sweetened with sugar or honey to taste and eaten with Greek yoghurt for breakfast or pudding)
1 tsp ground ginger
Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas mark 4. Line the base of a 23 cm / 9” tin with baking parchment. Butter the sides of the tin.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and both sugars. Making a well in the centre, add the butter, eggs and stewed apple. Beat thoroughly then transfer to the tin. Sprinkle the remaining demerara sugar evenly over the top. Bake for approx. 45 mins until firm to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for at least 15 mins.
This makes a lovely moist cake which can also be turned into a pudding when served with stewed apple sweetened to taste.
It is a very flexible recipe which can be made with a range of different fruits and flavourings. Try rhubarb with orange and ginger, plums with cinnamon, or gooseberries with elderflower.
Monica Askay
March 2019